Samuel Nathan Pauly

Samuel Nathan Pauly Age 34, born 8-22-77 in Jacksonville FL to Christine Salmela and Daniel T. Pauly, went to be with the God whose world he loved, on 10-4-11.

He was a cheerful, honest soul who loved life, lived it fearlessly, respected it, and walked gently in his world. He was in touch with the earth and with his soul. Sam was also your basic guy: blue jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes, and not much stuff. He was never bored, always "present" in each moment, gung-ho, with no second guessing, easy to talk to, attentive, grateful, respecting nature and people, and was adored by his dog, Boomer. He wasn't a big phone person but was a great listener. He became a vegetarian 10 years ago, saying "I don't want anything to have to die so I can survive." Sam was a virtual storehouse of statistics, and frequently heard "How do you know that?!" related to his main passions of geography, geology, history, meteorology, and all things growing. Who knew such joy could be obtained from a new rain gauge? His strong work ethic and fun-loving nature made him extremely popular with his co-workers at Geronimo's (Mobil 4-star) Restaurant in Santa Fe on Canyon Road, where he worked as a captain; the owners and staff became like family to Sam and his brother Daniel. He was a gifted and artistic stonemason, a passionate gardener, and he had a huge music collection. When he lived in California, he was known as the Reggae DJ on the U-California-Irvine radio station. He adored Kobe Bryant, loved playing basketball, threw himself into snowboarding in the mountains and skimboarding the California surf near his childhood home in Laguna Hills. He was a true big brother to his brother Daniel, always looking after and protecting him. He tenderly cared for his mother during her battle with cancer.

He is survived by his mother and father, and stepmother Rebecca Pauly; sisters Sarah (Steve) Bach, Rebekah (Andrew) Sheldon, Elizabeth (Dax) D'Amato; nephews Oliver and Theo Sheldon, Soren Bach, Isaac Avila, Sage and Arjuna D'Amato, and nieces Oceanne Rose D'Amato and Seneca Bach.

Sam's life was celebrated on October 12, 2011 at Christ Church in Santa Fe. A reception/luncheon immediately followed at the church.

A memorial fund has been created to help with expenses related to Sam's tragic death. Contributions can be made at any U.S. Wells Fargo Bank in the name of "Pauly Family Memorial Fund." For information, call any Wells Fargo Bank.